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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28101624">A Gift From The World</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWeepingMonk/pseuds/TheWeepingMonk'>TheWeepingMonk</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fictober20 [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Merlin (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bittersweet, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Short One Shot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:29:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>868</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28101624</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWeepingMonk/pseuds/TheWeepingMonk</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Merlin turns to face Gwaine. "Wait here," he whispers. </i>
</p><p>  <i>Gwaine frowns. "No way, Merlin, you can't take that thing on by yourself!"</i></p><p>  <i>Merlin grins. “Watch me," he says before sprinting out from cover. <i></i></i></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gwaine/Merlin (Merlin)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fictober20 [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1969324</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>44</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Gift From The World</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for <a href="https://fictober-event.tumblr.com/post/628547358001594368/fictober-event-the-prompts-for-2020%20rel=">this</a><br/>but not finished in time lmao</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Merlin peeks over the headstone he's hiding behind, watching the Shuck prowl around. The large phantom wolf had killed two local priests and two more in a village nearby before staying to haunt the Church.</p><p>Merlin turns to face Gwaine. "Wait here," he whispers. </p><p>Gwaine frowns. "No way, Merlin, you can't take that thing on by yourself!"</p><p>Merlin grins. “Watch me," he says before sprinting out from cover. He runs right at the wolf, stopping a few feet in front of it, and sending out a pulse of magic in warning.  </p><p>The wolf's head jerks up from the ground it had been sniffing at and jumps away. </p><p>Gwaine's at his side in an instant, sword raised. </p><p>The wolf snarls at him, slinking down in preparation to pounce. </p><p>Merlin summons his magic, allowing it to build up until the wolf lunges at them. He suspends the wolf in mid-air, his magic pulsating and wrapping around the creature like a vice. </p><p>The Shuck whines, as if in pain, and Merlin feels a sort of tug in his mind. </p><p><em>"Emrys,"</em> a voice says into his mind, <em>"Let me go."</em></p><p>Merlin scoffs. "So you can kill more priests?"</p><p>
  <em>"They were no men of God, Emrys. They intended to harm a child."</em>
</p><p>"What child?"</p><p>
  <em>"A girl. I visited the cemetery and I heard her screaming inside the church. I couldn't just sit by and let her suffer."</em>
</p><p>"I didn't hear of any girl."</p><p>"Girl?" Gwaine questions, then, "Are you talking to it now?"</p><p>Merlin looks at him, nodding slightly. "It says it was protecting a girl from the priests. Did you hear anything when you were asking around?"</p><p>Gwaine nods. "There was a rumor of a girl being at the church in the last village, but no one would come forward when I asked about it."</p><p>Merlin turns back to the Shuck. "And why did you kill the priests here?"</p><p>
  <em>"I lost control of myself until your magic touched me...Emrys. Please. Just let me go back."</em>
</p><p>"Back where?"</p><p>
  <em>"To the Fens."</em>
</p><p>An image imprints itself in Merlin's mind of a grassy plain near the coast. </p><p>
  <em>"It is my home."</em>
</p><p>"How do I know you won't hurt anyone else?"</p><p>
  <em>"You don't. But even you cannot kill what's already dead."</em>
</p><p>"No, but I can bind you," Merlin says. </p><p>
  <em>"Then do it and let me be rid of this place."</em>
</p><p>He closes his eyes and pictures the Fens, a spell coming to him as intentions become clear. His eyes snap open and he sees the wolf now has a large, third eye in the middle of its forehead. </p><p>An image flashes in Merlin's mind of Gwaine- his clothes layered and posh, hair well-kept. A flash of a weapon he's never seen before and then Gwaine dying to what fires from it. </p><p>
  <em> "You will lose him, another of the fallen will take his place, and this cycle will continue until the once and future King returns."</em>
</p><p><em> "A gift from the world for my suffering," </em> Merlin thinks to the wolf. <em> "The Druids told me." </em></p><p>
  <em> "Then I have nothing to say except I am counting on you to save the world and that you know where I shall be if ever you require aid."</em>
</p><p>Merlin nods and cuts the last thread of magic to send the Shuck home. He's struck by those finals words. </p><p>He'd recently helped a Griffin who'd said the same thing, and a Selkie, and a Goblin, and a Fairy. It made him wonder if something big was coming - not Arthur, it was <em>never</em> Arthur, but something bad enough to stir up creatures of magic. To twist them, change them until his magic set them free. </p><p>Merlin's pulled out of his thoughts as Gwaine grabs him by the front of his shirt, looking angry. He smiles sheepishly. </p><p>Gwaine stares at him hard before he kisses him, then shoves him away. "I can see now why Arthur was always yelling at you. Always charging in headfirst, and you <em> never </em> do as you're told." </p><p>"Neither do you," Merlin points out, inching forward until his mouth hovers over Gwaine's. </p><p>"Part of my charm," Gwaine answers before pulling Merlin forward by his scarf and kissing him slow and sweet, Merlin melting under him. </p><p>He doesn't think he'll ever tire of kissing Gwaine.  </p><p>Merlin pulls away after a moment, the imprint of Gwaine dying flashing unwanted in his mind. He curls his fist in Gwaine's hair to ground him in the present. He doesn't know how long this will be his life, how long he'll get to keep Gwaine before he's alone again, but he won't let anything ruin this joy between them. </p><p>"Come on," Merlin says, "we're done here and I'd rather do this somewhere more comfortable."</p><p>Gwaine grins and Merlin kisses away the very loud smugness there, thinking, <em> I love you, I love you, </em>"I love you," he breathes. </p><p>Gwaine caresses his face, and brings their foreheads together. "I love you too. Always."</p><p>Merlin nuzzles into him, closing his eyes. <em> Always and forever. </em></p><p>For Merlin, or rather, <em> Emrys</em>, that's what he had. Forever to lose, always to mourn, forever to live, always to love. </p><p>Maybe one day, when the final battle was won, <em>love</em> could be forever too. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please let me know what you thought of this!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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